Guest room: Small changes, big difference.

4 years ago

last modified: 4 years ago

Our guest room felt like a cluttered yard sale. I changed a few elements to create a clean, welcoming reading room that I can use when guests are not staying with us.

Quotes for a counter height, wall length built-in bookcase were $3,000 to $6,000. I opted for this for $75 solid wood Craigslist find, though it cost a pretty penny to have moved up our winding narrow staircase to the third floor. The old bookcase will be painted and house our 26 volume OED in a different room.

Thanks to all on Houzz who helped me fall in love again with my grandparent's vintage wool rug.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Featured Answer

Huntingflower

4 years ago

I like the new bookcase! I would however move the current chair and trunk(?) and put in a larger more comfy chair to read in. Place it near the bookcase so you can use it to place a beverage and a lamp (or floor lamp). If you use it as a reading room, would you actually use the hard wooden chair? BTW I love the rug. Good choice to keep it!

Comments (13)

Bestyears
4 years ago
Wow, I would relish spending time in that room! The only thing I might add, since there is no headboard, is some firm European square pillows to lean up against. Love it!
Kendrah thanked Bestyears
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You guys are great!! Thank you so much! We are going to play with the arrangement this weekend and see how it affects the egress in the room. I have a feeling that the couch against the windows is going to interfere with the natural walkways of that room. But, that being said, I just have to see it to rule it out because I really like the idea of the large sofa on that longer wall. I have already purchased a solid blue drapery panel for that window but a pattern might actually be a great idea and add a little something extra to the room. Rebecca, that rug is from the Magnolia collection and it is by Loloi rugs. Thank you, it was actually the first thing I bought for that room. My last several houses have all been in the darker words and darker red‘s, browns and when I saw this house, I knew I wanted to go with something a little bit different hence the blues and the grays. I was also thinking about doing a dark blue on the chairs but then wanted the dark blue on the window treatments and didn’t think I would want to put a dark blue chair against a dark blue window treatment. I hope that makes sense. So my thought was maybe going with more of a natural linen color on the chairs and then adding a pattern or solid blue pillow. Thank you all so much for the feedback and food for thought. I really love all of your suggestions and it really helps to try to see the room in a different way, through someone else’s eyes. .
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Plenty of windows = great natural light. Have you considered moving your tv to the opposite wall to the right of the door as you enter? It might be worth considering even it requires some wiring/cable changes because, although deep furniture against that wall would impede foot traffic a tv could fit above your bookcase left of that center window and doing that would give you three walls against which you could add furnishings because you likely could place individual chairs in front of the two bookcases beside the fireplace without a problem. Make those chairs smaller and light weight so that if you actually use your fireplace, you could move them back from the heat. Would not ordinarily recommend a sectional because they can seriously limit furniture placement options. Sectionals can be difficult to move for cleaning and if one part of the sofa is worn or damaged, the entire sofa, for all intents and purposes, is worn or damaged. Besides, no one really likes sitting in a seat without an armrest for an extended time anyway. All that said, if you frequently (emphasis on frequently) have a lot of visitors and, because of the fireplace and because of the number of doorways on the interior wall where you cannot place a second sofa without blocking a doorway, a single large "L" shaped sofa might be worth considering to replace your two current sofas -- but skip the lounger part. Instead, and in lieu of a coffee table, consider an ottoman that might do dual duty as an additional seat. With the French doors, you could place a chair or end table in front of one of them and only use the other. Otherwise, you need chairs rather than sofas for that interior wall so people can walk between them to get to the doors.
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tartanmeup
4 years ago
That rug is a stunner! Love the bookcase. What a find. I remember you posted about it. Love your curtains as well. If I had more of that fabric, I'd be tempted to use it for a pillow for the bed. The chair and frame make a nice minimalistic vignette.
Kendrah thanked tartanmeup
Kendrah
Original Author
4 years ago
Huntingflower - I'm a sloth. I chill on the bed when I am reading as opposed to using a chair. My parents come to visit a lot from out of town and use this room and I think even if I had a soft reading chair in here, they too would just use it as a place to toss clothes on instead of reading.

Bestyears - That is a good idea but I am more tempted from your comment to start looking for a headboard on craigslist! If I put extra pillows on the bed, I know my parents would not use them to sleep with and would then have to find a place to put them at night. I fear them ending up on the floor and my parents tripping on them. Older parents - fall prevention is often on my mind!
bpath
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
You had me at “housing our 26-volume OED”. Can I come stay in THAT room?

If your parents can manage winding stairs to the third floor, I think they can manage a pillow. A headboard is a good idea anyway, and one extra pillow, not too big, is a nice support for reading. Add a basket in the corner for it, or it can slide between the bed and nightstand (which is what I do). Beautiful choices for the nightstands, by the way.
Anne
4 years ago
Beautiful. This looks like a "real" home and I love all the family pieces. I would vote for a soft chair even if just for looks but I get that the bed is more comfortable! I covet that rug....it makes me think of my youth and college years going to camp and then being a camp counselor in the Adirondacks!
Fun2BHere
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
You found a wonderfully useful piece in that bookcase, well worth the moving cost. The room looks lovely.
Kendrah
Original Author
4 years ago
@bpath Oh Sophie - It would be great to open a reference library themed Air BnB huh? If I ever find one I'll let you know.

@Anne Thanks for sharing your memories of camp and college. My grandparents had this rug in their weekend cabin in the guest room between the beds. The night stands were their dressers. My whole house is full of things that belonged in that cabin - our dining room table, kitchen bench, flatware, dishes, end tables. So nice to be surrounded by it all.
tuckerdc
4 years ago
What about 'tilting' that rug a bit?
Michele
4 years ago
That’s a very welcoming room! The rug is beautiful. The bookcase was a real find!
Mrs Pete
4 years ago
I love the bookcase! And so practical for a guest room: the visitors can use the top for bags, etc.
PRO
K Interior Design Group
4 years ago
Looks awesome.. An upholstered headboard, or even you upholstering a frame yourself and mounting it on the headboard wall would look great.. And someone mentioned tilting the rug, that would be great too..
Lynn Whipp
3 years ago
Kendra we have a table which looks nearly identical, cherry wood, an antique my parents got is the early 1930's on the East coast, Connecticut or New Jersey area.

Guest room: Small changes, big difference.

Huntingflower

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Guest room: Small changes, big difference.

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